Sakura no Ki
by Eve Psyche
Summary: I suck at summaries. All I should say is its yaoi (m/m relationships), AU and probably OOC. The idea, Shigeru moved from America to Japan and meet Satoshi, what would happen?
1. Default Chapter Title

The cherry blossoms were falling, swirling in   
circles towards the ground. Like rain, really messed up   
pink rain, but rain none the less. It was the season for it,   
and people were out under the trees, picnicking. He could   
imagine them now, smiling faces and hands which were   
curiously outstretched to catch some of the annual   
offerings of the sakura no ki. If he didn't hate pink so   
much and the fact he knew almost completely nothing   
about Japanese culture, he'd be out there too.   
A loud thump drew him away from the window   
and the pink rain. The Greek exchange student had fallen   
asleep, her head slipping from her hands to the desk. Her   
pencil falling to the floor and rolling over to his foot. The   
teacher stood over her, eyebrows meeting in the middle of   
his forehead in a frown of annoyance.  
Once awoken, she was warned and class went on   
it's boring course.  
He yawned, silently, mouth forming a perfect oval.   
The Japanese boy sitting beside him glanced over in his   
direction. Baby blues briefly focusing on him before   
locking back on the front board. Displaying clearly the   
childish fear about being caught by the teacher during one   
of the periods of not paying attention. Asians. . . . . .   
sometimes he wished his family hadn't moved. Japan was   
utterly and completely different from America. It got   
confusing.  
At least it was the last class of the day and Friday.   
In less then ten minutes, he could escape the boredom and   
the blue eyed Asian who his hormones -- after all, that's   
who he always blamed for his strange emotions -- seemed   
to like. Already knowing his sexuality had its draw backs,   
he couldn't waste time questioning himself about certain   
stuff. Damn.  
He watched the clock with a newfound interest,   
riding out the minutes. Eyelids doping, somehow doing   
nothing for almost an hour was extremely tiring.  
The Japanese boy glanced at him again, eyes   
lingering for a moment instead of a few seconds. Eyes   
holding a strange curiosity which, to a certain degree,   
scared him. He hated it when people looked like they   
wanted to get in his head. He could see it in the Asian's   
eyes. Damn, now he really wanted to get away.  
Relief flooded over him as the bell rang. The   
teacher looking up at the clock, mock surprise written   
across his face, stating that they were able to leave now.   
The students moved out like stampeding buffalo or   
whatever the Japanese version of that was. The halls were   
swamped in a matter of seconds with students, and a few   
teachers, desperately wanting to go home.  
Of course, nobody is above the Friday rush to get   
out of school, so in one minute, he had made it out.   
Taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, he started on his   
journey home. Another weird thing about Japan, he had to   
walk home. It was in a good walking distance but back in   
America there was always a bus to take him.  
"Ookido-san! Ookido-san chotto matte!" Home   
will have to wait........  
He turned around at the shouting of his name, or   
last name. Japanese, a strange yet respectful language.   
Damn! It was that Japanese boy. Sometimes, life was too   
much of a bitch to him.  
"Ookido-san! I'm glad I caught you....." The   
Asian stopped his mad run to take a breather. 'Ookido-  
san' watched him, mentally asking if he could out-run the   
other. Most likely, the kid was a known klutz.  
"What is it you want?" Get to the point, screw   
being nice, I-really-wanna-get-outta-here, it was always   
good to use that tone in situations like this. It worked its   
charm in making sure others knew he wanted to be left   
alone.  
"I was wondering if you could help me out with   
something. I'm having a hard time in math......" Then   
again, the kid was a little slow on picking up on things like   
that. One of the endlessly optimistic people that seemed   
so sugary sweet and confident it made people like   
'Ookido-san' sick to their stomachs.  
"Sure, whatever. When?" Please not be today,   
please not be today, please not be today.....he repeated   
over and over in his head. That and 'down you overactive   
hormones'.  
"Is today okay? I mean, really need help now and   
all. I'm completely clueless on this stuff." Argh, dumb   
kid. Damn, damn, damn..... Now what was he going to   
do? He had no excuses! Damn damn damn damn   
damn.......... "Ookido-san?"  
Sometimes, it is useless to think cause one will not   
talk for minutes on end and that always draws attention.   
Such as a situation like this. Now, the real trick is to   
gracefully recover so one doesn't look like a total idiot.  
"Huh? What? Oh yeah. Sure, whatever." Crush   
and burn.  
The Japanese boy beamed, his grin looking like it   
would actually touch both his ears. "Sore wa sugoi!   
Arigato Ookido-san!"  
"Do itashimashte, ummmm....?" Well, the kid   
never did tell him his name.  
"Gomen! Watashi no namae wa Toraeru Satoshi   
desu." If possible, the grin got bigger.   
"Toraeru-san, okay, your place or mine?" Japanese   
was confusing, last name first, first name last. Exceptions   
are people who are famous then first name first, last name   
last, unless...... See? Confusing. Hopefully he got that   
right.  
"Ahhhhh, doesn't matter, you chose." Satoshi said,   
shifting his bag from one hand to the other. One of those   
guys who have endless amounts of energy, one of those   
boys who can't help shifting from one foot to another, yep,   
that was 'Toraeru-san'.  
"Okay then. Follow me." You better be happy you   
overactive hormones, this feels like a long afternoon.  
  
Ookido Shigeru had a headache. A monstrous,   
enormous, massive, titanic-sized headache. Toraeru   
Satoshi had to be either very slow and think skulled or   
acting to try to gain something. The latter seemed   
impossible because the kid really sounded like he was   
completely clueless.  
"I'm sorry.....maybe I should ask someone else.   
I'm annoying you, aren't I?" Satoshi said, looking up at   
him through midnight bangs. The math book and work   
sheets were spread out in front of him, fanning out across   
the table. Palms pressed flats on some of the sheets,   
pencil strangely in the direct center of his hands.  
Shigeru dropped one hand from its place on his   
forehead, letting it be a loosely curled fist out in front of   
him. He released a silent sigh and looked over at the   
Asian beside him. Maybe he was going too fast with the   
math, it was a little hard. The letters and problems and all   
that other shit could be hard to pick up if a person had no   
beginning experience with them.  
"It's okay. Lets take a break, it might help us a   
little...." Advil, Tylenol, whatever the hell his grandfather   
kept as painkillers for headaches, he wanted some. Who   
knew that fighting off hormones and working at math at   
the same time could cause such pain? With his current   
luck, probably the whole bloody word and nobody   
bothered to tell him.  
Shigeru stalked over to the kitchen and to the   
cabinets looked over the stove. His grandfather was a   
horrible packrat, it took brains to figure out where he hid   
things. Brains and the fact one would have to live with the   
old man as many years as Shigeru had. Ah-ha, Advil!   
Right of the pots, left of the dishes.  
Satoshi had followed him and was watching him   
with that curious look in his eyes. Shigeru had to fight   
down the urge to shiver in fear as he reached for one of the   
glasses from their place behind the plates. Might as well   
get another glass and offer the kid something to drink, it   
would be rude not to, right?  
He held out the extra glass towards the other boy.   
"We got all kinds of stuff, take whatever you like out of   
the fridge." Satoshi smiled, understanding, and took the   
glass. He turned towards the fridge to see just what kind   
of selection there actually was.  
Shigeru made his way over to the sink to fill his   
cup with the, hopefully, crystal clear liquid. Shaking a   
bottle of Advil is always a good way to decide wheather   
theres enough in its contents to satisfy its user. There was,   
goodbye headache.  
The Japanese boy heard him, tilting his head to   
survey the auburn haired boy at the sink. Anyone could   
see the guilt written of Satoshi's face. He knew he must   
have caused whatever Shigeru needed pills for. He smile   
fell and he looked back into the fridge, staring blankly at   
the milk container.  
"I really could leave if I'm causing to much trouble   
for you. I don't want you to go out of your way to help   
me. I gave you a headache, didn't I?" Geez, maybe the   
kid wasn't so thick afterall.  
Shigeru gulped down the last of his water, leaning   
towards the counter, supporting his body weight with one   
firmly placed hand. He could hear the hum of the   
refridgerater, the kid was still standing there with the door   
open.  
"S'kay. Its not you, its the friggin' math." And   
those stupid hormones, he added silently. "Let's take   
another crack at it." Yep, long afternoon indeed.  



	2. Default Chapter Title

The Japanese stereotype of Americans is a   
little off for this one guy I know. He seems to always   
have something on his mind. Doesn't speak a lot. A   
quiet guy, one of those smart ones too. Since I've met   
him, my grade point average has gone up!  
He's been here, in Japan, for a couple years.   
Its only been this time around that he's been in some   
of my classes. Last year, he was in Kasumi's math   
and lit periods. She has a solid belief that he's an   
arrogant jerk, and usually she's right. I usually don't   
doubt he, she's the smartest girl I know. Then again,   
she's the only girl I know that is close to my age. But,   
I've gotten off track.....  
I think I proved Kasumi wrong. That's hard to   
do, really hard to do.  
I've met his family, they're very nice. Well,   
his whole family just includes his grandfather and his   
sister, Mei. I don't know what happened to his   
parents, he doesn't seem like he'll ever tell. But   
that's okay, I really don't need to know.  
There's stuff in life, cause life is really   
confusing as it is, that we aren't meant to know.   
There's a lot about this guy I feel I'm not meant to   
know or ask about. Maybe I should just wait and he'll   
tell me.  
Oh no! I'm late for school! K'so, gotta go!  
  
Art class. I love art, I doodle over all my   
binders and notebooks, I paint on my walls at home,   
but I hate art class! Its either the teacher -- Bijuts-  
sensei, blah what a bore -- or the fact most of the   
people in art can't draw, they just needed the credit.   
Out of a class of twenty, about five really know how   
and love to draw. Five including me.  
The girl who sits across from me is one of   
them. She's one those dreamers too. Right now she's   
staring out the window, watching the birds. Her hand   
is moving, probably drawing the creatures.   
I looked down at my own piece of snow white   
paper, then up at the teacher. Bijuts-sensei just   
assigned the work. Draw someone that you admire.   
Profile of some sorts. Allowed to use up to only six   
colors, including black and purple. Not allowed to   
draw anyone attending this class or any teachers   
working at the school. Due date blah blah blah. Two   
weeks.  
The girl, Bijin I think her name was, looks   
bored with the assignment. She looks extra bored   
when Bijuts-sensei tells the class it can only be one   
person. That probably shot down whatever creative   
thought she had. She looks at me for a moment, one   
of those looks that screams 'I hate this guy, don't   
you?', before looking back out the window.  
I start tapping my pencil on the desk. Now   
who could I draw?  
The bell rings, lunch time. Most people rush   
out, like me. I can see out of the corner of my eye the   
Bijin is taking her time packing. She always is the   
last to walk out.  
Lucky for me, okaa-san still packs me a lunch.   
I don't need to get into a line and wait most of my   
lunch hour.  
"Satoshi-kun! Satoshi-kun get your butt over   
here!" Kasumi, she's a wacko, she's my best friend. I   
can see her waving her arms from her sitting place   
under a tree. The school uniform really doesn't suit   
her, the black and purple doesn't really go with her   
fiery hair or her pale skin.  
"Sumi, genki des ka?" I flop down beside her   
and grin one of my goofy grins.  
"Fine. And don't call me 'Sumi', nezumi!"   
She playfully hissed, grabbing my lunch from out of   
my hands. She opened it and grinned. "Wanna   
trade?"  
"Tondemo nai! I don't like your cooking!" I   
laughed as she stuck out her tongue and pulled down   
one eyelid. I seized back my lunch bag.  
Its this kind of light hearted play that makes   
me love Kasumi. As a friend of course. This is the   
stuff I wish Shigeru would experience. I can tell he   
doesn't, that's why I wish he could. Now I think I   
have a goal.  
"Hey, Kasumi-chan? Who do you think I   
should draw for my art assignment?" Kasumi hates   
having her picture drawn. This one guy made this   
horrible cartoon of her once.  
"How 'bout Ookido?" She asked, pointing a   
blue nail polished finger at the boy with auburn hair.  
I just blinked owlishly. Why hadn't I thought   
of that?  
  
"Shigeru-kun?" I walked backwards in front   
of him, watching his expression. He has that   
amused/annoyed look in his eyes. I'm sure he is more   
amused then annoyed.  
Whack! Telephone poles are too hard!  
"Satoshi-kun? You okay?" He's concerned,   
how sweet. I wish my back didn't hurt so much, I   
want to take in that look. I know he's beside me,   
hand hovering over my shoulder that's opposite to   
where he's standing. Head bent forward slightly to   
look at my face. Here I am looking at my shoes, arms   
wrapped around my stomach.  
"If I had any pride, it would be hurt!" I   
spluttered, breathing still a little hard.  
I could have sworn I heard him chuckle.  
"As long as your okay....."  
I snicker and grin up at him. I can see the   
concern lingering in his eyes for a moment before its   
replaced with the amusement. I stand up straight,   
feeling his hand briefly brush my shoulder. He pulls it   
back, taking a step away as if I would bite.  
"Shigeru-kun? Will you let me draw you?"   
That's gotta be the corniest thing I ever said!  
We continued our journey home. He didn't   
look up at me until we reached my place. Only then   
he glance up and said, "When?"  
I would have jumped for joy, but then I'd look   
like a complete idiot.  
  
He wanted to see my previous works. No   
problem. I can understand that. Nobody wants their   
portrait done by someone who really can't draw. I   
know I can draw good, but he doesn't know how   
good.  
I hear him snicker and looked up from my   
hands. Geez, I've noticed I'm staring down a lot.   
He's looking at one of my pictures from my sketch   
book. I wonder what's so funny.  
He show me the picture that he's snickering   
about. K'so, forgot about that one. I can't help but   
blush.  
I was in the park once, trying to draw a tree. I   
hate drawing trees, they're always so hard. Under the   
tree I was trying to draw was a couple involved in a   
little play fight. Two girls. It was interesting to watch   
as they tumbled about and tickled each other. But like   
all play fight with couples, it ended with a kiss. I had   
felt inspired. Screw the tree, ne?  
"Long story....." That's all the explanation I   
give him.  
"Feh, don't really want to know."  
He gets back to flipping through my art. I   
can't remember if I drew anything else like that...... I   
don't think so. The only other couple I remember   
drawing is Takeshi and Joi, they only lasted a week.   
Poor Takeshi, can't keep a girlfriend......  
I yawned and looked out the window. I've   
always loved this time of year, it always looks like   
picture outside. A picture I just can't draw.  
"You're pretty good. I wouldn't mind getting   
drawn by you."  
"Thank you!" Great, now I don't have to   
worry about who I'm going to draw. But, ahh when   
will I draw him? Its getting late now. "How 'bout we   
do it tomorrow? Its almost seven as it is."  
"Okay. Tomorrow then."  
  
I should really clean my room, my colored   
pencils are spilled across the floor. I don't remember   
what color my carpet was.  
Everyone wears their masks, I've learned that   
much in my little life. I know Shigeru does. A person   
is special only when they can get to see under the   
masks. At least, that's my opinion. My opinion never   
really passed for much, not like Kasumi's. I think she   
can always see under peoples masks, she's brought   
people out of their shells before. I don't think she saw   
under Shigeru's though. His is on tight. But......  
I think I've had brief glances of what he's   
really like. When I think about it, these glances   
amaze me and fuel my curiosity. I want to see what   
he really is completely. But, I'm suddenly so   
afraid.......  
Its hard to understand this fear, I have a hard   
time explaining it to myself.  
This thought of a higher friendship. Higher   
then any I've had or been or seen before. I don't   
know if I can survive as a friend, survive just having   
him as a friend at that high level.  
Kami-sama, he's beautiful under that mask.  
I've never been taught what to do in this   
situation. Nobody has ever brought it up, not in front   
of me that is. I'm scared I'm going to screw up. Bet   
you've heard *that* before.  
I've never had a girlfriend. I've never had the   
urge to. The only girls I love are Kasumi and my   
okaa-san. But......this is hard to say, let alone write.   
Well......  
I don't love him like Kasumi and okaa-san.   
The higher friendship thing.  
........Its confusing..........  
I wonder what I'll come out as in the end?  
Cause.......  
I think........  
To put it simple, I'd rather have him as a   
boyfriend then a friend........  



End file.
